But then it did as we pulled into the Berkeley station at the end of University Avenue. And how nice—people who had returned before us now came to greet the new returnees and offer help getting housing and even loans, beginning the long process of rebuilding a community.
A well-dressed, dark-haired lady waved to us and said, “I’m Marion Collins—my husband, Larry, is the Red Cross Representative for the 442nd and asked me to greet you in Berkeley.” She came and hugged us and helped us load our bags in her car. We didn’t need a long ride since we lived at 835 University Avenue in an old Victorian that had been rented out during the war. It needed a huge cleaning out, and fortunately we were soon joined by Grandma and Grandpa. We were back together again and it felt right.
Grandpa reopened the shoe shop and Grandma returned to her role as night caregiver for Dr. Brush, the pastor who had married my parents. My mother, after some searching, became the first Asian ever hired by the Berkeley Board of Education. We were only waiting for my father and Uncle Mot to return permanently.
Then on a magical day in the fall of 1945 a telegram arrived from Camp Beale, California: WILL BE HOME TONIGHT LOVE= Tak
1 The exclusion order was lifted in December 1944, one day before the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled in favor of Mitsuye Endo in a case which began the closing of the camps.
2 One of the crates marked “Topaz Central Relocation Center” was given to the Japanese American National Museum.
About the contributor: Jon Yatabe was born in Berkeley in 1937 and grew up in Redwood City, where his father (Tak Yatabe) grew flowers. He was four when his family was sent to Topaz. His father joined the 442nd Regimental Combat Team and fought in Europe. The Yatabes settled in Berkeley after the War. Jon graduated from UC Berkeley and received a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois. After a long career in Washington and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, he retired and divides his time between Alaska and Colorado (where he loves spending time with his grandchildren).
“The End and the Beginning” was excerpted with edits from Chapter 20 (“Leaving Topaz”) of Jon Yatabe’s memoir, “A Letter to my Grandchildren,” copyright 2019.
Great article. Jon is my cousin once removed, my dad’s first cousin. This is the first time seeing my great-grandfather’s storefront. The property is a Chevron station now.